Improvement in portable railways



N. W. OONDIOTQJL- Portable Railway.

No 20'4,007 Patented May 21,1878

N. PETERS, FNOTDJJTHOGR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE} NATHAN W. GONDIOT,JR., OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN POR TABLE RAILWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204.007, dated May 21,1878; application filed January 7, 1878. r

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHAN W. CoNnror, J r., of Jersey City, New Jersey,have invented a new and useful'Improvement in Portable Railroads, ofwhich the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to make a portable railroad-trackconsisting of a series of self-contained sections, constructed forconnection to each other, in the manner described hereinafter, so thatthe sections may be easily transported, quickly laid on the road-bed,and readily connected together.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of thetrack 5 Fig. 2, a side view of the same; Fig. 3, a perspective view,showing parts of two adjoining sections with coupling-chairs; Fig. 4, aperspective View, showing a modified arrangement of coupling-chairs; andFig. 5, aplan view drawn to a reduced scale, and showing a modified ar--rangement of coupling-chairs.

Each section of the track shown in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of two railsconnected together by transverse bars a a and diagonal bars b b, ofwrought-iron, so that the two rails may always be .maintained in theirproper relative positions, both longitudinally and laterally, therebyrendering the section self-contained.

I prefer to make these bars of T-iron, as it is comparatively light, andat the same time rigid, while its flanges afl'ord the best opportunitiesfor riveting the bars to the flanges of the rails.

The number and arrangement of the transverse diagonal bars will depend,in a great measure, upon the length of the sections; but I may remarkthat I prefer to make the section comparatively short, especially if theroad has to be laid in locations which are not easy of access by theusual means of transportation.

To each rail, at one end of each section, is riveted or bolted a portionof a coupling-shoe, B, which I prefer to make of plate or bar iron, bentas shown in Fig. 3, so as to tightly embrace the flange and web of therail, the projecting portion of each coupling forming a socket for theend of one of the rails of an adjoining section.

One rail of each section may have at each end a coupling-shoe, B, andthe opposite rail (1); the same section may be plain, as shown in Thecouplings may be made as shown in Fig. 4, each coupling having a base tobe riveted to the flange of the rail, and one side adapted and rivetedtothe outer side of each rail, and extending up to the top'of the same,so as to form a continuous tread.

These permanent self-contained sections of a railroad-track can beeasily transported and far more cheaply laid on the prepared roadbedthan ordinary rails.

The sections may be spiked to longitudinal sleepers in the bed,instead-ofto the usual cross-ties, the latter being unnecessary, owingto the self-contained character of the sections, which, in many cases,may be placed directly on the ground without intervening foundation.

I am aware that a portable railway consisting of framework composed oflongitudinal, diagonal, and transverse beams, has been used as afoundation for railroad-rails. This I do not claim; but

I claim as my invention 1. The within-described self-contained sectionof a railway, consisting of the combination of two rails and transverseand diagonal ties, all of Wrought-iron, and permanently securedtogether, as set forth.

2. A portable railroad-track consisting of a series of sections, eachcomposed of two rails, permanently connected together by transverse anddiagonal cross-ties, in combination with shoes B, permanently secured tothe rails of one section and adapted to the rails of the adjoiningsection, for the maintenance of the rails of the several sections inline with each other, all as set forth.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHAN W. GONDIOT, JR.

Witnesses WM. PINTARD, HENRY MODAWLAS.

